Visitors Digging A Little Deeper Into Their Pockets

Posted: Tue 5:50 PM, Jul 25, 2006&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Wed 8:32 AM, Jul 26, 2006

A newly imposed fee has visitors to the Grand Mesa Lakes Area digging a little deeper into their pockets to enjoy improvements in the area. Some people are upset over the fee while others are willing to pay the price.

The scenery is breath taking and for many relaxing in the Grand Mesa Lakes Area is like heaven on earth, and with more than $3-million worth of improvements made to the area – for some things just keep getting better. Within the past year the Forest Service has revamped day use areas, paved and widened roads, added paved trails and set up plenty of picnic tables. Evaporative toilets and daily trash collection in the day use areas has also been added.

In order to maintain the improvements, Recreation Resource Management who runs the facilities started charging a five dollar fee in June. Bill Arcieri has been fishing and hiking up at Mesa Lakes for more than 60 years. He says the fee is outrageous, and he's protesting the use of the improved facilities and he wants others to as well. Some campers say paying the extra five bucks is no big deal when you look at what you get in return. Newton says the clean bathrooms and paved roads make it worth it.

But there is still a way to enjoy mother nature's beauty without a paying a fee. People can park at the Jumbo Lake Parking Lot and walk into the area for free. The five dollar fee applies only to the three most popular lakes, including Sunset Reservoir, Glacier Springs, and Jumbo Lake.

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